Ford 8N having trouble starting -- many troubleshooting steps take -- suggestions?

[sd455dan]

unless the coil is bad.. or there is a short.. somehtings just not right.

a test lamp and the coil test would definitively show the issues..

since we're all waiting for the post back , and agreeing somethings not right, and the test lamp and coil test would show the issues. There is one other part of this 8n front mount distributor I just don't get, and need a little education on and that is how is the point base grounded in permanent manner? In some of the pictures there appears to be a mounting stud on the points base plate that a ground could be attached to but I see no evidence of it being used... and a circuit does need to be complete for current to flow in a low voltage primary circuit, it just doesn't make sense to me that Ford would rely on that large circlip to hold the point base down against the cast iron especially with rust, corrosion and vibration working against it...

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

OK, guy came out and helped with the tractor -- it felt like having Soundguy or something here in person. He quickly got the tractor firing over -- there was a slight glaze or some such from the factory on the points that was not allowing them to spark. This was a brand new set of points -- we took a small file and just touch both sides of the points and that was enough to get them sparking strongly. Turns out that was my big issue with the ignition. Prior to touching them with the file he ran through testing the points, coil, etc, off of the tractor -- he really knew his stuff.

Once it was running the guy helped me try to get her running more smoothly -- the tractor was running pretty rough although not dying. We replaced the H12 spark plugs I put on with new Autolite 437's just to make sure I didn't have a bad plug, tested spark on each wire, adjusted timing, etc. -- still the tractor ran rough.

We took the carb apart to see if it was gummed up at all and replaced the gaskets. The float -- while not full of liquid or anything, was dented in on both floats pretty far. The guy had spare floats so we installed a new one of those. Still running rough and we tested fuel delivery, spark, etc. The guy thinks something is up with the carb. He is going to take it home and put it on his working 8N to see how it responds. He is also going to dig into it and clean the jets, etc. He is also going to bring by his working carb from his tractor to try on my tractor. The symptoms are poor idle and at full throttle it was backfiring a ton. The guy was carefully adjust the needles on the carb but it never smoothed out.

This is a problem for another day once the tractor is running well but the new alternator was not charging the battery -- but then again the tractor was running rough.

The next time he will be coming by is Monday night so I won't have any updates until then. I am carb-less so I can't do any more here on my end. Thanks for all of the help and guidance and I will keep you posted with how things go on Monday.

 

[MasseyWV]

The symptoms are poor idle and at full throttle it was backfiring a ton. The guy was carefully adjust the needles on the carb but it never smoothed out.

I'm sure the guy you have working on your tractor will solve the problem, but the backfiring leads me to believe it might be caused by a timing issue. Again, I'm sure he knows how to do it, but here are instructions for how to time the front mount distributor on a Ford 8n tractor... for the benefit of others who may be reading this.

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

That's a really good point. He was adjusting the timing by turning the screw on the left hand side of the distributor. It was running a little rough when we first got the tractor igniting but it seemed to get rougher as time went on and as he fiddled with the timing. He did say that no matter how he has adjusted timing he has never heard it as rough as my tractor was running, which is why he thought it was a carb problem. I will have him dig back in and check the timing on Monday.

 

[sd455dan]

Any chance a 2 of the plug wires could have gotten switched on the cap?? Also new points with a non conductive coating on them, that's a new one to me. Glad it's running again

 

[Soundguy]

told you there was an open.. and points not closing electrically.

 

[Soundguy]

since we're all waiting for the post back , and agreeing somethings not right, and the test lamp and coil test would show the issues. There is one other part of this 8n front mount distributor I just don't get, and need a little education on and that is how is the point base grounded in permanent manner? In some of the pictures there appears to be a mounting stud on the points base plate that a ground could be attached to but I see no evidence of it being used... and a circuit does need to be complete for current to flow in a low voltage primary circuit, it just doesn't make sense to me that Ford would rely on that large circlip to hold the point base down against the cast iron especially with rust, corrosion and vibration working against it...

poitns have 2 sections.. fixed and moving. moving part is insulated and rides the cam.. fixed part is grounded to dizzy thru breaker plate. insulated moving side has a band hooking it essentially to the coil primary at the concave screw the pigtail rides in.. and that is also where the condensor pig tial is.. with body of condensor also grounded to base plate

dizzy spins.. cam opens and closes the points.

 

[sd455dan]

poitns have 2 sections.. fixed and moving. moving part is insulated and rides the cam.. fixed part is grounded to dizzy thru breaker plate. insulated moving side has a band hooking it essentially to the coil primary at the concave screw the pigtail rides in.. and that is also where the condensor pig tial is.. with body of condensor also grounded to base plate

dizzy spins.. cam opens and closes the points.

Thanks but all I was trying to understand , how is the (stationary) base of the point set is grounded, (Not referencing anything to do with the breaker arm) is it just setting on the iron with the circlip holding it for the ground connection or is there a more permanent connection between the non moving plate and the iron distributor base.. I do understand points based ignition theory and operation, but all that can be seen in the pictures, is that the fixed plate sits on the iron distributor base with a large circlip holding it in position to achieve - ground and maybe that's how it was designed ???

 

[Soundguy]

you mean like the hold down screw?

i think post # 261 had pics of the breaker plate.

look this pic over.. I think you will see..

http://imageshack.us/a/img21/7007/img20130314174710.jpg

 

[GPintheMitten]

I told you it was the condenser. Just kidding.

Glad you are getting it going.

I'm learning on these threads from you guys, esp Soundguy.